Flexible boat-launching device.



A. E. J. LUCKHURST.

FLEXIBLE BOAT LAUNCHlNG DEVICE.

APPLICATION HtED IUNE 1, I915.

1,205,762. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Inventor:

Attjg.

A. E. J. LUCKHURST.

FLEXIBLE BOAT LAUNCHING DEVICE, APPLICATION FILED IUNE 1. 1915.

1 ,205Q7'62, Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 SHE ETSSHEET 2.

IILTSIHIIIIIIIIT in ventor:

by JZZM/ ifiaabumi; gryfgn Atty ALLEN E. J. LUCKHURST, OF RIDGEWOOD, NEWJERSEY.

FLEXIBLE IBOAT-LAUNCI-IING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Application filed June 1, 1915. Serial No. 31,452.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN E.-J. LUCK- HURST, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Ridgewood, in the county of Ber gen and State of NewJersey, have invented a new and useful Flexible Boat-Launching Device,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for launching, and hoisting life boatson ships, and is designed as an improvement on the device filed by me inthe Patent Oifice March 31, 1915, Serial No. 18297.

In my application referred to above, each davit was operated by gearingon a fixed standard or support. In practice I have found that by soconstructing my device all strains caused by the rolling, or pitching ofthe ship, are communicated to thegearing in such a way as to bind thesame against the easy operation of the davit and connecting apparatus.

It is the object of my present invention to so construct the device thatthe operative gearing, both for the davits, and falls, will be inclosedagainst the weather, but will be so held that no strain will come uponthe same except such as may be developed in the rotation of the davits,or the operation of the falls.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1, is a side elevation of a portion of a ship with my improvedflexible launching device applied thereto,a part being in section; Fig.2, is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the operating mechanism,incased, for one of the davits, with a part of the casing broken away,and of the operating mechanism for the falls; Fig. 3, is a sideelevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2, looking longitudinally ofthe ship; Fig.4, is a view of the same, looking outward toward the sea;and Fig. 5, is a sectional view showing a detail of construction, takenon the line 55 of Fig. 2. p e

In the accompanying drawings, like numerals of reference refer to thesame parts in each of the views.

In practice I provide a worm and worm gear to operate each davit, and aworm and two worm gears to operate each pair of drum ends for the falls.I

As shown more particularly in Fig. 1, the davits 6, are mounted on aship, as 7 by sockets, as 8, in each of which I preferably mount a ballbearing, as 9; and each davit is held firmly in place by a strap, as 10,which may be secured to the deck of a ship. The davit will thus be heldfirmly against substantial movement either laterally, or longitudinallyof the ship thereby leaving my improved flexible launching device e11-tirely free from strain.

In making my improved flexible launching and hoisting device I provide astandard 11, on the top of which I flexibly mount a casing 12, which isnormally free to swing laterally on the shaft 13, on the cylinder 14,and is free to swing rotatably on the shaft 15, mounted in the yoke 16,of the standard 11, whereby a substantially universal joint is formedwhich permits the casing 12, to move unhindered in any direction therebyrelieving the inclosed gearing free from strain from any movement of thedavit and ship, on which it is mounted. The davit 6,

.passes through the casing 12; and has mounted thereon a worm gear 17,within said casing, said worm gear being composed of two parts, as shownmore particularly in Fig. 5, secured together by bolts 18, whereby acontinuous worm gear is formed with a hub 19, resting upon the surface20, of the casing 12, and having an extension 21, fitting within anannular collar 22, of the casing 12. The upper part of the worm gear isalso preferably provided with a hub 23, and extension 24, fitting withthe collar 25, of the casing 12. By having these extensions the wormgear, being composed of two parts, is held firmly together in additionto that embodied in the bolts 18.

' In adapting the casing 12, for the reception of the worm gear 17, asemicircular portion 26, is provided to which the segmental portion 27,is secured by bolts 28, thereby providing a firm support for the wormgear, and also completely inclosing the gearing from the weather. Theworm 29, is also completely inclosed within the casing by the part 30,which is secured to the part 81, of the casing, by bolts 32. This wormis in mesh with the worm gear 17, as clearly shown in Fig. 2; and isoperable by a crank shaft 33, which passes inward beyond the casing, asshown so it can be easily engaged with a crank in the hands of anoperator standing well within the zone of safety. The drum ends 34, and35, are operable by the worm 36, mounted on the crank shaft 37, whichalso extends athwart the ship and projects beyond the casing 12, so asto be easily engaged with a crank, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig.3. Thus, both the shafts 33, and 37 can be operated from a zone ofsafety thereby removing liability of the operator being thrown into thesea by the rolling of the ship, or from other cause. The drum end 34, ismounted on a shaft 38, carrying the worm gear 39, in mesh with the worm3'6 and the drum end 35, is mounted on the shaft 40, carrying a wormgear 41, in mesh with the worm 3'6. Thu-s, by rotating the shaft 37,both drum ends will be rotated, as will be understood, and the lifeboat, as d2, can be either taken from the checks 43, and launched, orcan be hoisted from the sea and placed in the checks, as will beunderstood.

In operation, when it is desired to launch the life boat, the falls areoperated by rotating eachshaft 3 7, until the drum ends lift the boatfrom the checks; first one davit and then the other is rotated by therespective shafts 33, inconnection with the worms, and worm gears, untilthe boat is in a position without the vertical, longitudinal zone of theship, as will be understood: when by again rotating the drum ends theboat can be lowered to the sea. In hoisting the life boat from the sea,the operation is just reversed.

By having both sets of gearing in a flexibly-mounted support there isabsolutely no strain upon any of the gearing from the movement of theship and davit, and, therefore, no possibilityyof binding, or increasingthe friction. At the' same time, the gea-ringis held in positivearrangement with the davit, and with the falls and means for operatingthe same. By forming the worm gear 1.7, as shown, and mounting it asshown, I am able to mount my improved device on the davits o'f'any ship,and" operate thesame in the most desirable manner. By making both of thecrank shafts 83, and 37, substantially parall'el, and disposing them sothey will project inwardly from the sideof the ship, the boat is handledwithout'any danger whatever of any of the operators being thrown intothe sea by 'anysudden movement of the ship, or from other causes. Bymaking the casing, as shown and described, and boltingthe'portionsthereon'as'd'escribed, 1am not only able to completelyinclose the gearing from the weather, but am *able -'to protect the lifeboat in its passage between the'davits. The device is flexible,comparatively simple in construction,not expensive tomanu-facture, andis very efiicient in use.

I claim:

A flexible boat launching-device -'comprising a pair of davits carryingfalls, a worm gear and worm operatively connected with each davit, aworm and worm gears'operatively disposed relative to the falls on eachdavit, and a flexible support for both of said sets of gears. I

2. A flexible boat launching device comprising a pair of davits andmeans to hold the same in fixed position relative to the ship,

a worm gear mounted on each davit, a casing inclosing each worm gear, aworm mounted on a shaft in each casing, in mesh with the respective wormgear, a worm and worm gears mounted in each casing each of the lattercarrying a drum end, a standard supporting said casing, and a doublejoint between said standard and easing whereby each casing is free toswingin two directions.

3. The combination with the davits of a ship, of gearing adapted tooperate the davits, and gearing adapted. to operate the falls, theoperative shafts of both sets of gearing being substantially paralleland extending inwardly from the sides of the ship, a support for bothsets of gearing, and a double joint between said support and saidgearing whereby said gearing is free to swing in two directions.

4. The combination with the davits of a ship, of gearing adapted torotate the davits, and gearing adapted to operate the falls, theoperative shafts of both sets of gearing be ing substantially parallel,and extending inwardly from the sides of the ship, a casing in whichboth sets of gearing for eac h dav-it is mounted, a standard, and adouble joint between said -casing and said-standard whereby said casingis free to swing in two directions.

The combination with the davits of a ship,=of a worm gear composed oftwo parts mounted on "each davit, a worm in mesh with each gear, acasing inclosing the worm and worm gear, said casing haying two annularcollars composed-of segmental-parts, and said worm gear having a hub oneach side with extensions fitting within the respective =coll ars, "forthe .purpose set forth.

6. The combination with the davits'of a ship, of a worm gearcomposed oftwo parts bolted on each davit, a wormin mesh with the worm gear on eachdavit, a casing inclosing each worm and worm gear, said casi-ng havingtwo annular collars composed of segmental parts "and said worm :gearhaving a hub on'each side with "extensions fitting within the respectivecollars, said casing being flexibly supportedon the ship, for the 11:

purpose set forth.

7. The herein described flexible boat'laun'ching device comprising twodavits pivota-lly mounted and secured, on a ship, worm gear'fi'ved oneach da-vit, a worm in mesh with each of said worm gears respectively, acasing*in'closingsaid gears, worm and worm gears in each casingcarrying-drum ends,operative shafts moun'tec'l parallel in said"casmg-and projecting from the inner end-of the same, said shaftscarrying the respective jacent said davit, and a revoluble shaft hav-Worms, a standard and a double joint coning a bearing comprising auniversal connecnecting said standard with the respective castion Withsaid pillar and adapted to impart l0 ing whereby the casing is free toswing in movement to said rear.

5, two directions. Dated this 29th day of May, 1915.

8. The combination With a rotatable boat davit, of a gear mountedthereon, a pillar ad- ALLEN E. J. LUCKHURST.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

